The “Old Town Road” singer has spent his weekend behind bars after being hospitalized last week.
On August 21st, according to NBC4, police responded around 6 AM to reports of a naked man on Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles. When they arrived, officers found Lil Nas X (whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill) in the middle of the street wearing nothing but underwear and cowboy boots.
For those unfamiliar with Lil Nas X, he went viral a few years ago with his hit song “Old Town Road.” The tune topped the country music charts and divided the internet on whether it was actually a “country” song, all while Lil Nas X continued to release remixes featuring everyone from Billy Ray Cyrus to the yodeling kid, Mason Ramsey. Since then, the rapper has become a controversial figure due to stunts like selling shoes that contained drops of blood and attending the Met Gala wearing a thong and high heels.
However, the video obtained by TMZ showed a state of Lil Nas X that left fans concerned, leading them to the conclusion that this was not one of his “stunts” but rather a cry for help.
Video obtained by TMZ shows the singer strolling around and talking to the cameraman, telling them not to “be late to the party tonight” while breaking into song. He then takes off, strutting down the street in his white boots, instructing whoever was recording to get his “good side” and posing while he continued to talk about this party.
Other videos taken by citizens showed them interacting with the rapper, which is heartbreaking that their response was to egg on this behavior instead of calling for help for him.
Police say when they arrived on scene, the rapper charged at them and threw punches at the officers, who then took him to the ground.
Lil Nas X was eventually taken to the ground and taken into custody, with police requesting firefighters and paramedics after suspecting an overdose.
He was taken to the hospital, but LAPD expects that he will be booked for misdemeanor battery on a police officer once he’s released.
Sure enough, he was taken into custody once he was ready to be admitted from the hospital, and since then has been behind bars waiting for a bail hearing on Monday, August 25th. Although he is a celebrity, TMZ reports that he is not cutting lines and has to wait for his hearing, just like any other average Joe.
The new outlet also reported that Lil Nas X is not eligible for bail because, under current law, nonviolent offenses are typically granted automatic bail amounts. The kind of offense Lil Nas X was brought in for means he has an automatic appearance in front of a judge in order to be “cited out.”
TMZ reported that the rappers’ camp has been “radio silent” since the arrest.
I hope that Lil Nas X gets the help he needs. It seems like he’s battling some substance abuse, and this is not a stunt like he’s pulled in the past.
